LEADING VISUAL EFFECTS PROVIDER CRAFTY APES JOINS FORCES WITH MOLECULE VFX

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Crafty Apes, a full-service visual effects powerhouse with seven production facilities across North America, announced today the acquisition of Molecule VFX, an established visual effects company based in NYC and Los Angeles. The acquisition brings together two companies with a deep roster of talent in creative VFX supervision and production management and more than doubles Crafty Apes's NYC-based headcount.

Crafty Apes, which recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary, provides best in class visual effects and production services to the rapidly growing market for film, episodic and commercial video production. Crafty Apes's services range from high quality 2D and 3D compositing to digital cosmetics and computer-generated imagery. Crafty Apes's recent critically-acclaimed credits include films such as Spider-Man: No Way Home, Red Notice, Licorice Pizza and Ghostbusters: Afterlife in addition to television shows Ted Lasso, Insecure and Stranger Things, among others.

Molecule VFX has been a main visual effects provider in both episodic television and feature films in New York and Los Angeles since 2005. Some of the studio's recent titles include acclaimed series such as Billions, Gossip Girl, Genius: Aretha, P-Valley, and acclaimed features including Spike Lee's Da Five Bloods.

Crafty Apes partner Chris LeDoux commented, "We are always looking to grow our team with talented artists and the Molecule team has a strong track record of producing outstanding work while taking great care of their clients. Bringing our two teams together will allow us to even better serve our clients on a greater scale in both episodic television and feature films. Having worked with Molecule VFX over the years, we know we will have great success working together and continuing to meet the growing demand for visual effects."

The principal team from Molecule VFX includes Andrew Bly, the studio's CEO, and Luke DiTommaso, senior visual effects supervisor. Bly says of the partnership, "Luke and I are so proud of where our team's incredible talent has brought Molecule VFX. We have been allies with Crafty Apes for years, so joining forces with them will allow us to reach new heights together. We believe this merger will have a significant, positive impact on the VFX industry in NY." 

Crafty Apes's NYC management team will be working with Bly and DiTommaso to integrate the two companies and expand their NYC footprint under the Crafty Apes banner. Over the past few years, the two companies have shared multiple episodic series between their respective Georgia and New York facilities, providing both on-set and post VFX resources to properties that filmed and finished in both cities, including Genius: Aretha for Nat Geo/Disney, and Starz acclaimed series P-Valley.  

Together, the new Crafty Apes NYC will continue to service clients across feature films, commercials, streaming content and episodic filmed television shows, as well as providing front-end creative consultation and on-set supervision with their creative studio and production partners.

Crafty Apes is a portfolio company of Gemspring Capital.

About Crafty Apes

Crafty Apes is a full-service visual effects company started in Los Angeles, with additional studios in Atlanta, New York, Baton Rouge, Albuquerque, Montreal and Vancouver. Beginning as a VFX studio for film and TV, Crafty Apes has grown to include a talented roster of creative and production supervisors that offer set supervision. Credits include Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Licorice Pizza, King Richard, Star Trek: Picard, The Orville, Stranger Things, Fear Street, Men in Black: International, Deadpool 2, and many more. For more information, visit craftyapes.com.

About Molecule VFX

Molecule VFX is a visual effects studio based in New York and Los Angeles specializing in visual effects for episodics and feature films. With over 80 artists, producers and team members, Molecule VFX provides the elemental building blocks for storytelling and has been servicing episodic television and feature films since 2005. Molecule VFX's recent credits include acclaimed series such as Dickinson, Billions, Gossip Girl, Genius: Aretha, Only Murders in the Building, The Americans, and acclaimed features including Spike Lee's Da Five Bloods.

About Gemspring Capital

Gemspring Capital, a Westport, Connecticut-based private equity firm with $1.5 billion of capital under management, provides flexible capital solutions to lower middle market companies. Gemspring partners with talented management teams and takes a partnership approach to helping drive revenue growth and value creation. Target companies have up to $500 million in revenue and are in the aerospace & defense, business services, consumer services, financial and insurance services, healthcare services, industrial services, software and tech-enabled services, or specialty manufacturing sectors. For more information, visit www.gemspring.com.

Crafty Apes Media Contact:
Storyline Public Relations
Marilyn Lintel
[email protected]

SOURCE Crafty Apes